The Welsh government has been accused of a ‘culture of waste’ after it was revealed that it spent more than £100,000 on pot plants in just three years.

Critics have expressed dismay that so much money has been devoted to plants and floral arrangements at a time when the country has been in one of its worst economic crises and suffered from years of budget cuts.

In one year alone the Welsh Government spent nearly £40,000 on potted plants and other decorative fauna, according to a Freedom of Information request.

Growing estate: The government says that the increased cost is due to a growing estate since then-First Minister Rhodri Morgan (left) brought bodies including the tourist board into the civil service but Matthew Sinclair (right) from the Taxpayers' Alliance says the spend is 'outrageous' and a 'culture of waste'

The figures show that in 2010/11 the Government spent £38,240 on potted plants and other decorative fauna. It spent £28,010.91 in 2011/12, £28,591 in 2012/13, and has spent £8,069 to date in 2013-14.

The government claims that the increased
spending was ‘largely due to the increase in size of the Welsh Assembly
Government’s administrative estate’.

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A spokesman for the Welsh Government Permanent Secretary said: ‘This expenditure relates mainly to the cost of maintaining internal plants at key Welsh Government administrative offices.

‘Planting is mainly limited to public and principal communal areas including reception, conference/meeting spaces and restaurant areas.

‘There are also minor costs associated with the provision of floral arrangements and other plant compositions for key events and functions.’

A Freedom of Information request revealed that in 2010/11 the Government spent £38,240 on plants and other decorative fauna, £28,010 in 2011/12 and £28,591 in 2012/13. The government assembly building is pictured above.

In contrast to the amount of money made available for pot plants, the financial outlook in Wales remains a struggle with household costs rising and house prices remaining low.

The Welsh government's budget has been cut by 10 per cent in real terms since 2010 equivalent to an unprecedented £1.7billion. Cuts include local councils who will have 5.81 per cent less revenue available to them next year.

In response to the Autumn Statement last week, Finance Minister Jane Hutt said: ‘After three and a half years of budget cuts, and the weakest and slowest recovery in history from recession, we still face tough decisions in delivering our priorities of growth and jobs, tackling poverty, protecting the vulnerable and ensuring high quality services for people across Wales.’

Office greens: The government said the costs relate mostly to maintaining pot plants in indoor communal areas such as reception and conference rooms

Speaking out on the pot plant spending, Conservative Shadow Assembly Finance Minister Paul Davies said: ‘Spending £100,000 on floral displays is difficult to justify at any time - let alone in the current climate.

‘Cultivating frontline services should be the priority - not cultivating plants.

‘Taxpayers will rightly greet this bill with disbelief and Labour ministers should apologise for frittering away their money.

‘Making a comfortable environment for visitors is one thing. Spending this much on buying, watering and feeding plants is pretty unforgiveable.’

Matthew Sinclair, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: ‘It’s outrageous that so much of our money has gone on pot plants across the Welsh Government. This spending should be pruned and contracts renegotiated to ensure that taxpayers are getting better value for their money.

‘It’s urgent that the Welsh Government tackle the culture of waste that appears to have grown out of control.’

The amount spent by the Welsh Government on plants has fallen significantly in recent years. In 2005/06, £24,000 was spent, rising to £39,000 in 2006/07, climbing to £41,000 in 2007-08, £48,000 in 2008-09, and then falling to £43,000 in 2009-10.

The government estate has increased in recent years after organisations that had previously been Assembly Government Sponsored Bodies have been incorporated into the government.

The Wales Tourist Board and the Welsh Development Agency were brought into the civil service as part of then-First Minister Rhodri Morgan’s ‘bonfire of the quangos’.

However, the Welsh Government said that no money had been spent on paintings since April 2010 in its Freedom of Information response to the Welsh Conservatives.

Difficult to justify: Conservative Shadow Assembly Finance Minister Paul Davies said the government should apologise for 'frittering away' taxpayers' money